Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpeðɾoˈrotʃa]; 3 December 1942 – 2 December 2013) was aUruguayanfootballer who played 52 games for theUruguay national team between 1961 and 1974. Nicknamed "el Verdugo" ("the Executioner"), he was a highly skillful midfielder and a prolific goalscorer, regarded by Pelé as "one of the 5 best players in the world".[1] He was listed by the IFFHS as the 37th greatest South American player of the XXth century.[2][3]
During his time with Peñarol, the club won 8Uruguayan league titles (1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), threeCopa Libertadores (1960, 1961, 1966) theCopa Intercontinental in 1961 and 1966 and two editions of the Uruguayan Copa Competencia in 1964 and 1967.
In 1970 Rocha joined São Paulo F.C. where he helped the team obtain theCampeonato Paulista in 1971 and 1975. He was thechampionship top scorer in 1972. In 1977, his final year with the club they becamenational champions for the first time in their history.
He suffered from mesencephalic atrophy, a serious degenerative illness that affected his speech and his movements, paralyzing part of his body and confining him to a wheelchair.[5] He died on 2 December 2013 inSão Paulo, one day before completing 71 years.[6]
^Osvaldo José Gorgazzi; José Luis Pierrend; Martín Tabeira (1999). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) (ed.)."Supercopa 1969". Retrieved19 August 2011.